Don’t leave bottles on the floor
Summer is the best time for get-togethers with friends and family. You may have in mind a barbecue in your backyard or a hearty summertime dinner. No matter what kind of party you are after, it can be a headache sometimes to dispose of the waste and food left after a party.
A handy recycling locator tool
No party is complete without drinks, be it wine, beer, juice or soft drinks.
Glass drink bottles can be recycled and turned into new products. The WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) website has a recycling locator tool that is very handy and useful in finding your nearest bottle banks.
Bottle banks are emptied regularly. However, if you find a bottle bank is full, don’t leave your bottles on the floor as they may not be recycled. Instead, check out the other banks nearby.
What can and can’t be put into bottle banks
Lots of glass items left after parties can be recycled:
- Bottles of any colour, for example, wine, beer and soft drinks
- Jars: for sauces, jam and baby food
However, some types of glass are not suitable for recycling:
- Glass cookware, for example, Pyrex and microwave plates
- Drinking glasses
- Ceramics, for example, crockery, earthenware
These items can withstand higher temperatures, so they can’t be melted at the same time as the types of glass typically put in bottle banks for recycling.
Some best practices
Here are some tips to make glass recycling right and better:
- A quick rinse helps remove leftover liquid inside the bottles, avoiding contamination.
- Bottle lids and caps can also be recycled. Put them back on before recycling to reduce the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process at the recycling plant. You can also keep the labels on the bottles.
- Corks should be removed from bottles. They can be saved for home composting.
- All bottle banks in the borough accept glass of any colour. You don’t need to separate your empties by colour before putting them in the bottle banks.
More about glass recycling can be found on the re3 website and the Recycle Now website.
